Giteau resigned to fate under Deans

Date: November 8 2012

Toulon: Matt Giteau opted not to return to Australia and signed a new contract with French Top 14 leaders Toulon instead because he realised with Robbie Deans as national coach he had no chance of a recall to the Wallabies squad.

The 30-year-old was sensationally left out of last year's World Cup squad by Deans - who had made him his first-choice five-eighth in 2008 before his dramatic fall from grace with the Kiwi coach - despite still being in form and with 92 caps under his belt since making his debut in 2002.

Giteau - who played in the 2003 World Cup final loss to England - signed for Toulon and enjoyed a terrific first season, in which they reached the title final only to lose to Toulouse, and was only too willing to sign a new contract last month.

''Yes, I have brought a curtain down on my chances of ever playing for my country again. But with the coach who is in charge of them at the moment, I don't have much of a chance of being called up,'' he said. ''Even if I had returned to Australia, a condition of being available again for selection, I would maybe not have been recalled.''

Giteau said he had sympathy for Quade Cooper, who was fined and given a suspended ban for lashing out at the ''toxic'' environment within the Wallabies.